Going into his third full-time campaign with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, Brock Zearfoss’s goal is to make more headway toward the front of the field.
In his rookie season in 2021, Zearfoss started 71 of the 77 feature races, scoring one top-five finish at the season’s final race and 23 top-10 results. Finishing ninth in points was a solid start to his Outlaw career, and while he dropped to 10th in the 2022 Outlaw standings, progress was made in other areas.
The No. 3Z machine started 65 of 69 races in 2022, winning for the first time as a full-time Outlaw at Cedar Lake. The Jonestown, PA native also recorded three top-fives and 20 top-10 results. Despite fewer top-10s, there were also fewer missed features in ’22 compared to ’21. Steady gains is Zearfoss’s goal to do even better in 2023.
“If you look back at our results from the first year to last year, our results improved. Not how we wanted it to be, but they improved nonetheless,” Zearfoss said. “I think you just take that approach to this year and you try to be realistic with it. You can shoot for the moon all you want, but at the end of the day realism is more important than what you think you should be doing.
“Our goals are realistic this year. We just want to double what we did this past season and I feel like that’s very doable. Very confident in our team and our program right now. Obviously we can pass race cars, but if we put ourselves in the right position to battle for wins, I think the wins will come.”
Zearfoss earned his first top-10 of 2023 with a 10th in the third night of the Dirtcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, his best result at the Florida track. Over the five races in Florida, The Jonestown Jet gained 39 positions in the feature compared to his starting spot. There was clear evidence that the car was fast in the race.
“We proved down in Florida that we can race,” Zearfoss said. “We can pass cars, but you’re not going to win any races coming from 15th every night. You might get lucky once or twice, but it’s not going to be a consistent deal. So like I said, we just have to put ourselves in that top 10, even 10th is kind of pushing it, but top 10 gives you a little bit better of a chance to be successful at it.”
The World of Outlaws sprint cars will next face an abbreviated March Pennsylvania swing with a race at Williams Grove Speedway and Lincoln Speedway on March 17th and 18th, respectively. Weather concerns forced the cancellation of previously scheduled visits to Port Royal Speedway on March 10th and 11th.
Zearfoss is happy to be coming back home to race in front of his sponsors, as his Pennsylvania-based team is funded by Pennsylvania-based companies. Instead of those companies watching him race on the World of Outlaws’s streaming platform Dirtvision, they have the opportunity to see their investment on track in front of them with a confident driver.
“Obviously it adds a little bit of excitement to be able to go home to the tracks that you’re familiar with,” Zearfoss said. “It comes back to the confidence level. I have confidence in my race car and my team, but it just gives that little extra bit when you know you’re going home and you’re racing in your backyard.”
Before joining the Outlaws full time, Zearfoss raced throughout Pennsylvania and competed as part of the famed Pennsylvania Posse that shows up whenever the Outlaws or All Star Circuit of Champions comes to town. Zearfoss scored a win as a Posse member in 2017 at Williams Grove.
